Depending on the rank list you trust, only three players this season are worthy of going No. 1 overall in the majority of standard and point-per-reception leagues: Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy and Adrian Peterson.

Some might argue Matt Forte deserves to be in the conversation, and Peyton Manning could go No. 1 overall in two-quarterback leagues. But in the majority of formats you will only see Charles, McCoy or Peterson in the top spot.

Charles is our choice, and we'll get more into his outlook below. But no matter which running back you like first when picking first, your game plan should be to take your favorite rusher at this position. Don't get cute.

What we're doing here in this 12-part series is outlining a strategy for you to use with each pick. My colleague Dave Richard and I are looking at all 12 picks individually after we did a two-man draft for 14 rounds to give you an idea of what positions to target in each round. Naturally, we're starting with No. 1 overall.

We'll highlight some players who should be available with each pick, and hopefully this is a guide you can use on Draft Day in standard and PPR formats with a lineup of QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE), K, DST and five reserve spots. Every draft is different, so don't expect to follow this plan exactly. But if you have an idea of what you want to do with each round you should be able to put together a solid squad. And that's the goal of every owner.

When you draft at No. 1 overall sometimes your best strategy is to take the best player available, since you're stuck waiting for players to fall in your lap. In the standard league, I wanted a No. 1 receiver in Round 2, and Antonio Brown was the best one available. I also couldn't pass on Rob Gronkowski in Round 3.

I had the same approach in the PPR draft with Doug Martin falling to No. 24 overall, and then I gladly took Gronkowski again. You start filling in holes the rest of the way -- in the standard league I was now chasing running back and the PPR league I was behind at receiver -- but you have to be comfortable with each pick you make and live with the consequences.

Editor's note: The percentages listed are what position you should target based on that round for each pick.

Round 1

Round 1 - Standard

QB

0%

RB

100%

WR

0%

TE

0%

Round 1 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

100%

WR

0%

TE

0%

When you start comparing Charles to his competition, you're really nitpicking about who is better. I'll take Charles because of Andy Reid's coaching and how Charles played last season. In his first year under Reid, Charles had 259 carries for 1,289 yards and 12 touchdowns and 70 catches for 693 yards and seven touchdowns. The rushing touchdowns, catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns were all career highs. Reid now has coached a running back to seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons, eight 1,500-total yard seasons, 10 seasons with at least 50 catches and six seasons with at least 10 total touchdowns in his career. Yes, there are offensive line issues in Kansas City, but Charles also accomplished his production last year in fewer touches (329) than McCoy (379) and Forte (363). If the touches are comparable, Charles could blow away the competition. We'll see how it works out, but Charles is an easy selection in this spot in both leagues.

Round 2

Round 2 - Standard

QB

10%

RB

40%

WR

40%

TE

10%

Round 2 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

40%

WR

50%

TE

10%

I like the idea of drafting back-to-back receivers with the swing picks here in both formats, but I won't reach for a player just to follow a strategy. In the standard league, I was fine with Antonio Brown at No. 24 because he is a standout option with how the Steelers use him as the No. 1 target, and his production could rise with Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery gone. Based on ADP, you could be looking at Jordy Nelson and Brown here, which is an excellent receiver duo to start any team. In the PPR league, I was also hoping for a No. 1 receiver here, but the Top 10 guys on my board were gone, leaving slim pickings. I took a detour here and chose Martin, who still has Top 12 potential at running back even though the Bucs are talking about a reduced role. I'll believe it when I see it.

Round 3

Round 3 - Standard

QB

10%

RB

40%

WR

40%

TE

10%

Round 3 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

45%

WR

35%

TE

20%

In the standard league, I considered pairing Brown with Jeffery, which would have been a high-end receiver duo and a great start for my team. But things changed when Gronkowski was still there. If he can suit up for 16 games, he will challenge Jimmy Graham for the No. 1 tight end spot and will prove to be better value with a second- or third-round pick. I went the same route in the PPR league with Gronkowski ahead of any of the quarterbacks or even a high-end running back like Lynch. Don't be surprised if quarterbacks fall in PPR leagues, even those that reward six points for passing touchdowns, because Fantasy owners like to jump on running backs and receivers with high catch potential. I put Gronkowski in that category because he could be a beast this year.

Round 4

Round 4 - Standard

QB

10%

RB

50%

WR

40%

TE

0%

Round 4 - PPR

QB

10%

RB

40%

WR

50%

TE

0%

I have an elite trio of players to start my team with Charles, Brown and Gronkowski, but I left myself thin at running back, which is never a good feeling. I had the chance to recover with two guys on the board I like a lot in Stevan Ridley and Trent Richardson. Both are in line for bounce back seasons and will make quality No. 2 running backs/flex options. In the PPR league, receiver was a must, and Victor Cruz has plenty of upside in new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo's system. There is already talk of Cruz catching 100 passes and if that happens, he's a steal in Round 4. I don't usually like taking a quarterback and tight end with my first five picks, but every now and then you have to adjust, like what happened next in the PPR league.

Round 5

Round 5 - Standard

QB

10%

RB

50%

WR

40%

TE

0%

Round 5 - PPR

QB

20%

RB

30%

WR

50%

TE

0%

Like I said earlier, quarterbacks will fall in PPR leagues, but Rodgers in Round 5 is a little outrageous. Rarely will you see me take one of the first three quarterbacks or pair a quarterback with a tight end in the first five rounds, but I wasn't letting Rodgers go. So even though I'll be hurting at receiver, the idea of fielding a lineup with arguably the No. 1 quarterback, running back and tight end is exciting. In the standard league, I went with another running back in Richardson. If he and Ridley can regain their 2012 form then I have three potential Top 12 running backs with Charles. I hope both rebound in a big way, but if not then I can rotate each one as my second rusher and worry about a different flex option week to week.

Round 6

Round 6 - Standard

QB

30%

RB

20%

WR

50%

TE

0%

Round 6 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

40%

WR

60%

TE

0%

Receiver might be a deep position this year, but you won't want to wait too long before taking a No. 2 option because then you're picking at scraps. That's kind of how I felt here in the standard league, and I might regret passing on guys like Floyd, Sanders, Welker and Roddy White for Richardson. It will work out if Julian Edelman plays like he did last year, and I backed him up with Kendall Wright in Round 7. But this is now a question mark if these two don't live up to my expectations. In the PPR league, it's a similar situation since I went with Gronkowski and Rodgers so early. I went with DeSean Jackson and Torrey Smith with these two picks with the hope one becomes a reliable starter and/or flex option. They were the two best receivers on the board even if their value is better in standard leagues than PPR.

Round 7

Round 7 - Standard

QB

30%

RB

20%

WR

50%

TE

0%

Round 7 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

40%

WR

60%

TE

0%

I'm excited about Wright this season in his third year. He had 94 catches for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns last season and finished No. 31 in Fantasy points in a standard league, but if he scored three more touchdowns he would have been No. 21. He's easily capable of that and is worth the price at this point in the draft. In the PPR league, Torrey Smith made the most sense compared to other receivers like Wallace, Terrance Williams, T.Y. Hilton and Sammy Watkins. I don't love Smith in a PPR format, but he did have 65 catches for 1,128 yards last season, which were career highs. If he can stay at that level and score at least seven touchdowns, which he did each of his first two years, then he could be a steal here. He also will play the Andre Johnson role in Gary Kubiak's offense, and while he's not at Johnson's level, he could have a big season in this system.

Round 8

Round 8 - Standard

QB

40%

RB

30%

WR

30%

TE

0%

Round 8 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

60%

WR

40%

TE

0%

It's time to consider a quarterback in the standard league after going with three running backs, three receivers and a tight end with the first seven picks. I advocate waiting on a quarterback whenever possible, especially if you can target one you like and remain patient. Robert Griffin III is in line for a tremendous bounce back season now that he's healthy, and I'm thrilled to draft him here. In the PPR league, it's time to stockpile running back depth, and we'll go back to back here with Knowshon Moreno and Bernard Pierce.

Round 9

Round 9 - Standard

QB

10%

RB

50%

WR

40%

TE

0%

Round 9 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

60%

WR

40%

TE

0%

No one is going to be excited about drafting Moreno right now. He's hurt, and all the reports about Lamar Miller are glowing. But it's a long season, and Moreno will play a prominent role when healthy. He's a worthy stash candidate here who still has upside, albeit minimal. As for Pierce, he gets a two-game audition with Ray Rice suspended. He could surprise us and make this a tandem all season. In the standard league, I target Christine Michael whenever possible. I've been down on Lynch since the Super Bowl because of his workload from 2013, and Michael is a lottery ticket worth waiting for all year.

Round 11

Round 11 - Standard

QB

10%

RB

40%

WR

30%

TE

0%

DST

20%

Round 11 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

50%

WR

30%

TE

0%

DST

20%

If you draft Charles, you should cover yourself at all costs. And that means investing in Knile Davis if you can, which we did in both formats. Charles sat out Week 17 to rest and got hurt in the playoff loss to the Colts. During those two games, Davis got 45 carries, nine catches and scored four touchdowns. He would be a No. 1 running back if Charles got hurt, so don't make the mistake and miss on Davis if he's available.

Round 12

Round 12 - Standard

QB

20%

RB

30%

WR

20%

TE

0%

DST

30%

Round 12 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

40%

WR

40%

TE

0%

DST

20%

I'm expecting Griffin to be fine this season, but there's obvious risk he could get hurt again based on his style of play. And since there are a handful of standout No. 2 quarterbacks from Cam Newton to Ben Roethlisberger to Russell Wilson to Carson Palmer, you have plenty of options. Palmer was the pick here, and he could be this year's Philip Rivers as a low-end backup with Top 10 upside. He should thrive in his second season for coach Bruce Arians, and I'm excited about this quarterback duo with Griffin and Palmer.

Round 13

Round 13 - Standard

QB

0%

RB

0%

WR

0%

TE

0%

DST

90%

K

10%

Round 13 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

0%

WR

0%

TE

0%

DST

90%

K

10%

The Panthers DST was No. 3 in Fantasy points in a standard league and could easily repeat this season as a Top 5 option. The pass rush should remain dominant and cover up holes in the secondary. And linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are stout. They have a tougher schedule this season, which will hurt, but I still look for the Panthers as a starting option in all formats as I did here.

Round 14

Round 14 - Standard

QB

0%

RB

0%

WR

0%

TE

0%

DST

0%

K

100%

Round 14 - PPR

QB

0%

RB

0%

WR

0%

TE

0%

DST

0%

K

100%

Nick Novak was No. 6 in Fantasy points in a standard league last season and just one field goal and an extra point away from being tied for third. He won't finish that high since I expect the Chargers offense to regress a little this season, but he remains a No. 1 kicker worth drafting in the final round.